A Day With Ponyboy
by Greaserfreak
Summary: A typical day in the life of Ponyboy Curtis.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: It's been exactly one year since I posted my first story, A Day With Soda. Well, someone had suggested back then that I should do a story like that for each of the characters. So, that's what I'm going to do. This story is about what Ponyboy's day is like.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.

I rolled over in the nice warm bed, shielding my eyes from the sun with my arm. I knew that my two brothers would be trying to get me out of bed at any minute, but I decided to try to go back to sleep anyway. Sure, I probably shouldn't stay up late on school nights reading. But once I get into a really good book, it's hard to put it down. Soda knows I read at night. Fortunately, I don't think Darry knows. If he did, he'd ground me. Well, maybe not ground me, but I would get a lecture about how reading in the dark is bad for my eyes. I only read by the dim light from the porch light outside. It provides just enough light for me to see the words.

"Ponyboy, get up. You have school today." Darry hollered from the kitchen. He does this every morning and every morning, I pretend not to hear him.

"Come on Pony, it's time to get up now." That was Soda, who was now sitting on the bed and bouncing on it. He was also getting me wet since he had just got out of the shower and his bouncing made the water drip from his hair.

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head.

"If you don't get up, I'll tickle you out of this bed." Soda said. Of course, he didn't wait for a response. He never does. He just started to tickle me. "Are you going to get up now?"

"Pony, Soda, come on, breakfast is ready. Get out here before Steve and Two-Bit get here and decide to eat it first!" Darry called.

"Okay, Soda, I'm up." I gasped as I sat up.

Soda messed up my hair. "You stayed up late reading again, didn't you?"

I nodded. "You're not going to tell Darry are you?"

Soda grinned. "Nah.Just don't get caught."

"I won't." I replied. "And please tell me you left some hot water for my shower."

Soda has this habit of using all the hot water when he takes a shower.

Soda just winked at me and left the room. Which meant I would probably have just enough hot water to get my hair washed. And that's exactly what happened.

"Well, it's about time." Darry commented when I finally stepped into the kitchen for breakfast. " Do I have to make your bed time earlier?"

"No." I replied as I helped myself to a slice of chocolate cake.

"Maybe he had one of those dreams again." Soda mumbled. He knew I didn't but, he was trying to stick up for me. And it worked. Darry just frowned and mumbled something that I wasn't able to hear.

I gave Soda a grateful smile when Darry wasn't looking and Soda grinned back as he put more jelly on his eggs. I've given up on trying to figure out why he likes jelly with his eggs. Although, I still think it's a disgusting combination.

"Hey, I'm leaving for work now." Darry said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "Make sure the dishes get done. Soda, make sure you remember your shoes when you go to work. And Pony, remember if you go anywhere after school to have someone either go with you or to pick you up when you're ready to come home."

Soda and I both nodded. It was the usual morning instructions before Darry headed off to work. He tells us the same thing every morning. Just like Soda asks if the mail came yet every afternoon when he came home.

After Darry left, Soda and I did the dishes. We finished just in time for Steve and Two-Bit to pick us up. Steve was driving. He stopped at the DX first to drop off Soda before heading for the school. Once we were at school, we all stayed in the car, smoking cigarettes until the warning bell rang. I said I'd see both of them at lunch before I went to my first class. Another long day of school was about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

I walked to my first class of the day, wishing for the millionth time that the city would build a new school. The one I go to seems to have too many people. Something I was reminded of as someone pushed me into the lockers.

"Learn to walk, greaser." A soc sneared at me from behind.

I ignored him and continued toward my class, which was math. Algebra if you really want to know. When I got to the room, I took my seat. In the middle aisle in the middle desk. Which was unfortunately in the middle of a group of socs. And not nice socs like Cherry and Randy. These were mean socs.

"Hey, grease." One of them took his seat to my left. It wasn't long before the others came.

"I still don't get why they'd let some greasy hood take honors classes." One whispered loud enough for me to hear. "He's just going to end up like his no good brother. Working at a greasy gas station."

"Maybe he already works there. Where else would someone get all that grease in their hair?" Another said as he kicked the back of my chair.

I bit my tongue. I wanted to tell them to lay off. But, if I did, I'd get in trouble and they'd get off easy. That's how things are when you're the only greaser in a class full of socs. And the teacher was never any help anyway. She thought that if she ignored them, they'd be quiet.

Forty-five minutes later, I went to my next class, biology. I still sat next to the cute girl who had seen me use my switchblade to disect our frog. She was nice. Not like the socs in my math class. But she still eyed me carefully every time I sat down next to her.

"I left the switch blade at home." I told her as I took my seat next to her.

She nodded and gave me a small grin. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders. She had straight hair. And it was so shiny, you could almost see your reflection in it.

"Okay, class, today we are going to start our fruit fly project." The teacher said and waited for the groans to stop before continuing. "This project is worth half of your semester grade. So I suggest you all get serious about it."

I frowned because the teacher reminded me of Darry. He always wanted us to take every assignment seriously. Like all of us were going to go around disecting every animal in sight once we graduated. And he always seems to look straight at me when he says it, too. Maybe because he had both my brothers and isn't sure if I'll be serious like Darry or a goof off like Soda, as he told me. I don't think he liked Soda much.

I watched as the teacher set a jar of fruit flies between me and the girl.

"What happens if the fruit flies all fly out of the jars and all over the room?" Some smart mouthed soc asked.

The teacher just glared at him. He doesn't ignore talking. He doesn't put up with mouthing off. It's another class where I keep my mouth shut.

"I am not touching them." The girl said, pushing the jar closer to me.

I grinned at her. "I don't think we have to touch them. We have tweezers, see?"

I held up the tweezers that were on the tray in front of us. She just shook her head and offered to write the report if I did all the actual work with the flies. I agreed. It was one less thing for me to do at home later.

I had gym next. The teachers were making us learn square dancing. I hate square dancing. The only good thing about it is the girls get to join us. Other than that, I'd rather dance to Elvis and not do all the swing your partner round and round stuff.

After gym was lunch. Which was good because I was starving. I waited outside for Steve and Two-Bit to show up. While listening to a bunch of socs scream 'Greaser!' at me as they passed by.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't long before Two-Bit pulled up next to the curb in his car. Steve was sitting in the front seat next to him, looking at me like I was wasting his time as I climbed into the back seat.

"Hey, kid." Two-Bit greeted me. "Anything exciting happen?"

"Nah, just the usual stuff." I replied. Two-Bit may like school, but he doesn't understand a lot of what goes on there.

"Well, where are we going?" Two-Bit asked. "We can't sit here for the whole lunch period."

"Just drive to the DX." Steve sighed. "It looks like your car needs a fill up anyway."

I stared out the window. I don't talk much when Steve's around. Especially when I think he's not in the mood to listen to me and this was one of those times. I really don't understand how Soda can be friends with him because they're so different from each other. But, somehow, they get along.

Two-Bit drove to the DX station in record time. When he pulled up to the pumps, Soda looked up in surprise.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Soda asked.

"Fill her up!" Two-Bit said with a grin.

"Are the checks in yet?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, they got here a few minutes ago." Soda said as he unscrewed the gas cap and started put gas in the car. ""Why don't you go see if the boss will give you your check now since you're here."

"That was the plan, buddy." Steve said as he got out of the car.

"Pony, do you want a Pepsi since you're here?" Soda asked me. He finished filling Two-Bit's car and leaned against the door.

'Sure." I replied. I knew he was going to get me a Pepsi anyway.

"What about you, Two-Bit?" Soda asked.

"A Pepsi is fine." Two-Bit said as he handed Soda some money for the gas and his Pepsi.

Soda left and retuned a minute later with two Pepsies and Steve following behind, staring at his check.

"I wish we got paid more." Steve was mumbling as he got back in the car.

Soda just looked at him and shook his head. He hears this every two weeks when Steve gets his check. Soda, on the other hand never complains about the amount he makes. He's just glad that he can do something to help Darry out.

"We should head back to school." I said. Lunch was almost over and we liked showing up in time to hear the socs blame the greasers for the mess they made in the cafeteria. It starts off the rest of the school day with a good laugh.

"All right, I'll see y'all later." Soda told us. "And Pony? Darry called and said he'd be late tonight, so don't start making dinner till around six."

I nodded as Two-Bit drove off. Steve waved absently, still looking at his check and muttering about how he didn't make enough money. I drank my Pepsi and looked out the window again. It wasn't long before we were back at the school and walking inside the building where the cafeteria was.

"It was the greasers." A soc was saying to a teacher when we entered the building. "They're always making a mess."

"Yeah, they always have to be in filth, it makes them feel at home." Another said.

I exchanged amused grins with Two-Bit.

"I saw you two throwing the food, so how can you say someone else did it?" The teacher, who was not amused, asked.

"But it was the greasers!" The first soc said. He pointed at us.

The teacher looked at us and back at the soc. "Those three left campus for lunch. I saw them pull into the student parking lot a few minutes ago. Now, are you going to clean up your mess or not?"

"We didn't do it!" The second soc insisted.

The teacher sighed and I knew from the look in his eyes that he had had enough of the two socs. "Clean up your mess and be here on Saturday for detention."

"But, we can't be here on Saturday!" Both socs exclaimed.

The teacher glared at them. "Make that this Saturday and next Saturday."

The two socs stomped off, both cussing out the teacher under their breaths. Two-Bit, Steve, and I didn't stick around to see if they would clean their mess or not. We didn't have to. They'd been caught red handed by a teacher who refused to put up with their little stories. We just wandered the halls until it was time to go to class.


	4. Chapter 4

My first class after lunch, if you can call it a class, was study hall. Personally, I don't like study hall. The teachers think it's the perfect excuse to have students get a start on their homework. The truth is, it's the perfect excuse for the socs to torment the greasers because we can move around and talk with our friends. Or in my case, I can try to read a good book or write a story and have some soc sit next to me and act like he's my best friend, only to walk back to his buddies and mock me.

Cherry is in my study hall. We don't talk to each other, except to say hi. It wouldn't be good for a greaser and a soc to be seen together. Which is too bad, because Cherry is the only person in study hall that I wouldn't mind talking to.

"Hey, grease, what are you doing?" A soc asked sitting so close to me, he would have been on my lap if he sat even closer.

"Nothing." I mumbled, wishing he'd go away or at least back up.

"You and your greasey friends got us in trouble. Thanks to you, I have to spend the next two Saturdays here cleaning gum from under the chairs and desks." The soc said.

"I didn't get you in trouble." I said. "You're just upset because the teacher caught you red handed and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Oh, I can do something about it." The soc replied. "Why don't you meet me outside after school? Then we'll see what I can do about it."

"Fine. I'll meet you by the football field." I said as the soc got up. I immediately regretted what I said. I knew that I just agreed to a fight. And Darry would skin me if I got caught fighting on school property or anywhere else. Even if I didn't get caught, he'd find out. It's kind of hard to hide the fact that you were in a fight. But, there was nothing I could do about it. Maybe if I was lucky, the soc would forget about it by the end of the day. Or, maybe, I could suddenly get sick or leave the property after school without anyone seing me.

Unfortunately, word gets around quick in school and both Steve and Two-Bit were waiting for me outside of study hall.

"You agreed to fight a soc?" Two-Bit asked. "Boy, I hope Darry doesn't find out."

"Shut up, Two-Bit." I grumbled. "Is there any way I can get out of this?"

Steve shook his head. "No way. You don't want the socs to think that greasers are wimps, do you?"

"No." I admitted. "But, come on, fights are something you two would get into. Not me."

"Well kid, there's a first time for everything." Two-Bit said, slapping me on the back. "And don't worry, Steve and I will be there to cheer you on."

"Well, that's a help." I mumbled as I entered my english class and they went off to their classes.

"Good afternoon, Ponyboy." Mr. Symes greeted me when I entered the room.

"Hi, Mr. Symes." I replied sitting at my desk.

Mr. Symes went back to grading the papers he had sitting on his desk until the bell rang. Then he stood up and passed out a short story. We were doing a unit on short stories in class and every day we had to read a new story, then answer questions about the story on a worksheet. The papers he had been grading were most likely the worksheets from a previous class.

While we read the story, I noticed that the socs were passing notes around. Which isn't unusual. But, I knew that these notes had a common theme. The fight that would occur after school and I was still thinking of ways to get out of it.

I sighed as I turned the page. I could the eyes of several socs staring at me, and knew that I would regret ever agreeing to fight that soc long before Darry would find out about it.


	5. Chapter 5

I walked slowly to the football field after school with Two-Bit following close behind. He offered to hold my books for me. Steve was already at the football field, smoking a cigarette.

"Well, you decided to show." Steve said with a pleased grin. "I thought you would have snuck out a different door.

"I thought about it." I admitted. "But, like you said, I don't want the socs to think that greasers are wimps."

"Speaking of socs, here they come." Two-Bit said.

"Great." I said softly as I stared at the ground. Then, I looked up and crossed my arms as I watched the socs walk towards me. The one who would be fighting me was lpointing and laughing at me. I felt my face get hot. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get my hands on that soc and beat the tar out of him.

Steve slapped my shoulder as he went to join Two-Bit. He glared at the socs as they circled around me and the soc from study hall.

"Well, the little greaser showed up. I'm impressed." The soc from study hall said mockingly.

"Looks like he has some cheerleaders." Another commented.

"You know, we can turn this into a rumble." Two-Bit spoke up.

"That won't be neccessary." The soc from study hall said. "Seeing one greaser cry will be enough."

With that he punched me across the face. I almost stumbled backwards, but quickly regained my balance. My cheek was hurting where he had punched me. So, I did the only thing I could think of, I jumped on him and started to punch him back. The fight was on. We fought for several minutes, or at least it seemed that way until Randy's voice interrupted us.

"What's going on here?" Randy asked as he grabbed the soc and pulled him off of me.

"We're just teaching this greaser a lesson, Randy." The soc said. His nose was bleeding.

"The kid did nothing to you." Randy said as he pulled me to my feet. "So, why don't you all go home?"

"What's this? Are you turning against us?" One of the other socs asked.

Randy just glared at him. "Go home. And if I ever find any of you harrassing Ponyboy again, I will personally beat the tar out of you."

The socs left one by one until only Randy was left. He was eyeing Two-Bit and Steve carefully. Probably to see if they were going to jump him or not. When they silently walked towards us, he looked at me. "Kid, you're a mess."

"I'll bet." I said. "How did you know about the fight?"

"Cherry told me. She heard about it in your study hall and asked me to break it up. She always hated fights." Randy said.

"I know." I said. "Do I really look bad?"

Steve handed me a handkerchief out of his pocket. "Let's just say, you won't recognize yourself for a few days."

Randy quietly walked away. He didn't need to stick around.

"I think we need to celebrate." Two-Bit announced. "Let's go get Pepsies at the DX station, my treat."

"Good thinking Two-Bit. Let Soda see me before Darry." I mumbled as the three of us walked towards his car.

When we arrived at the DX several minutes later, Soda came outside. "Boy, twice in one day? Don't tell me you need another fill up."

"No, just three Pepsies." Two-Bit replied. That was when Soda looked at me.

"Pony? What on earth happened to you?" Soda asked as he gently turned my face towards his.

"I got in a fight with a soc." I said as Soda examined my face.

"A fight? Glory Pony, Darry is going to be angry when he finds out." Soda said softly. "And there's no way you can hide it. You're face is all bruised. I wouldn't be surprised if your eyes were swelled shut by tomorrow."

"I look that bad?" I asked.

Soda and Steve both nodded.

"Great. Just great. How could I have gotten myself into this?" I groaned, leaning back in the seat.

Soda ran off to get our Pepsies and returned a minute later. "Pony, hold the Pepsi on your face until you can get ice at home. Hopefully, it'll help get some of the swelling down. I'll be there in an hour. Hopefully, Darry won't get back before then."

I nodded and Two-Bit drove away. Soon, we were at my house. Two-Bit stuck around until Soda got home. Steve, went to his own home.

"Well, I'm heading out." Two-Bit said when Soda finished his chocolate milk. He left, slamming the door behind him.

"Have you looked in the mirror yet?" Soda asked.

"No." I replied, holding an ice pack on my face.

Soda pulled me to my feet and pushed me towards the bathroom. My face looked aweful. I had two black eyes and my cheek was badly bruised, as well as my jaw which hurt a lot.

"Soda, what am I going to do when Darry gets home?" I asked. "He's not going to be happy about this."

"We could say the socs jumped you." Soda suggested. "It won't be too far from the truth."

As he finished his sentence, the front door closed. I gave Soda a nervous look in the mirror. Darry was home from work.

"Go into our room and start your homework." Soda whispered pushing me out the door and down the hall. "I'll see if I can distract him till dinner. Hopefully by then, you'll come up with a believable story."

I went into my room and sat down at the desk. I tried to do my homework, but couldn't focus. I was too busy trying to hear what Soda was saying to Darry. I could tell that he was trying to get Darry to start dinner.

"I'm tired, Soda. Besides, isn't it Pony's turn to make dinner?" Darry asked.

"He has a lot of homework tonight." Was Soda's reply.

"So much that he can't stop for a half hour to make dinner?" I could tell that Darry wasn't convinced. Soda was never good at lying. "Something's going on."

"No, there isn't." Soda said and I could almost hear the panic in his voice.

"Yes there is. Soda, you know as well as I do that you're a bad liar. I'm going to see what Pony's up to." I heard Darry's footsteps come down the hall with Soda's following behind.

"Darry, wait!" Was Soda's last plea before the door flew open. I looked down at my homework, hoping my hair was long enough to hide my face.

"Pony, what's going on?" Darry asked.

"Nothing." I said as I pretended to erase something on my paper.

"Kid, Soda's a bad liar which means I know something happened. And it's not like you to not look at me unless you did something that would upset me." Darry said. He turned the chair so I was facing his stomache. "Now, I want you to look at me."

I slowly lifted my head. Darry was looking down at me with his hands in his pockets.

"What in the world happened to you?" Darry asked.

"I got in a fight after school." I admitted and Soda shook his head from behind Darry.

"You got in a fight?" Darry asked in disbelief.

I nodded. "A soc was bugging me during study hall and the next thing I knew, we had agreed to fight after school."

"And you went through with it?" Darry asked. "What were you thinking?"

"I wanted to leave, Darry. But when the soc started mocking me, I knew I couldn't." I said.

"Pony, how many times do I have to tell you to use your head? Do you know how much trouble you could have been in if a teacher found out?" Darry half whispered and half hollered.

I nodded.

Darry shook his head at me. "I could skin you now. But I won't. Just, start using your head!"

I nodded again.

"Soda, you can make dinner tonight. Pony, go lie down on the couch with an ice pack on your eyes. I know you weren't doing homework in here." Darry said as he left the room.

"Boy, he's good." Soda whispered as we also left the room. He gave me a tiny grin. "I tried to keep him out until dinner."

"I know. I heard you." I told him. "And I swear I will never get in a fight again. It's not worth it. And my jaw hurts so much, I'm not sure if I'll be able to eat dinner tonight."

"Well, if you used your head once in a while, you wouldn't have that problem now, would you?" Darry spoke up as he sat down in his chair.

"Darry, leave him alone. He knows getting in a fight was wrong. Hollering at him isn't going to help." Soda said as he entered the kitchen. A second later, he was throwing an ice pack across the living room to me. I caught it and laid down on the couch.

Darry got up from his chair and sat down on the edge of the couch. He carefully positioned the ice pack over my eyes. He sat with me until dinner was ready, watching the television. I knew he was upset that I had been in a fight. But his reaction wasn't as bad as it could have been. Maybe it was a sign that we were starting to understand each other.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time dinner was ready, I had told Darry about how I had ended up in the fight. He shook his head when I told him about how the soc had bothered me during study hall. He knows that the socs like to bother the greasers. Especially a greaser that is in all the smart classes.

"Who won?" Soda asked when Darry and I sat down at the table for dinner.

I thought about it. I wanted to say I won, but I knew that wasn't true. Then again, the soc really didn't win either. "No one. Randy came and broke it up. Cherry told him about what had happened in study hall."

"Smart girl." Darry said at the same time Soda said, "You would have won. I'll bet that soc had nothing against you."

"Don't encourage him to fight anymore. Okay, little buddy?" Darry said.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I didn't want to be in this one. Next time, I'll keep my trap shut."

Soda passed me a bowl of mashed potatoes which he had colred blue and grinned at me. He had told Darry when he started making dinner that he was trying to distract him because he didn't want us to get into an argument about me fighting. After all, it hadn't been that long ago since Darry and I had promised Soda that we wouldn't fight anymore and Soda would do anything to make sure that we would keep that promise.

"Hey, we're not going to argue, little buddy." Darry told him. "I might not be happy about Pony being in a fight. But, I don't think it's worth arguing about."

I ate slowly because my jaw still hurt where the soc had punched me. I wasn't saying much either and Soda noticed it.

"Are you okay, Pony? I know you're usually quiet, but for you, this is too quiet." Soda said looking at me from across the table.

I nodded. "I'm fine. My jaw just hurts, that's all. The soc punched me really hard there."

Darry frowned slightly. "I wish those socs would mind their own business. It would save the two of you a lot of trouble. And, I wouldn't have to worry about you so much."

Soda punched him lightly on the arm. "Like Pony and I don't worry about you carrying more bundles of roofing than you can handle up the ladder at one time?"

Darry gave him a small grin. "You know what I mean, little buddy. Speaking of which, I need you to give me a back rub later."

Soda winked at me.

"And don't you dare try to put me to sleep, Sodapop Patrick Curtis!" Darry warned. But he was laughing. Probably because he knew as well as I did that Soda would put him to sleep with his back rub. He almost always does.

"I should go start my homework." I said. "And this time, I'm really starting it."

"Do you want another ice pack for your jaw?" Darry asked as I stood up.

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine. But, I might need help with my math assignment later."

Darry nodded. "I'll be there in a little while. After I finish helping Soda with the dishes."

"Why do I have to wash dishes?" Soda asked. "I cooked."

"Because I said so, little buddy." Darry said.

I laughed as I left the room. I went to the bedroom and sat down at my desk. This time, I started to do my homework.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Pony, it's a nice night out. Do you want to come down to the lot with Soda and me and throw the football around for a while?" I looked up from my homework and saw Darry leaning in the doorway.

"What about my homework?" I asked.

"How much do you have left?" He asked in return.

I looked. "Just math and what I have left here." I motioned toward the book I had the desk.

"You can finish when we get back." Darry told me and I nearly fell off my chair. "Come on, when was the last time we all did something together, just the three of us?"

I grinned. "Okay, I could use a break, anyway. I just read the same paragraph five times in a row and still have no idea what I just read."

"Well, let's go." Darry said. He left the room and I followed. Soda was already outside, tossing the football in the air and catching it.

We walked down to the vacant lot. It was a peaceful night and the weather was perfect. Not too hot or cold. And the breeze was just right. I also noticed that the sky was clear and I could see the stars.

"Remember when dad used to take us here when we were little?" Soda asked suddenly.

Darry and I both nodded. We had reached the lot, and Soda was still playing catch with himself.

"Yeah, we remember, little buddy." Darry said. "Toss the ball to one of us."

"Okay," Soda sighed. "Go long, Darry."

Darry ran, and caught the ball after Soda threw it. Then, he threw it at me. We continued to toss the ball to each other and even kicked it for a while before Darry decided to sit down.

"Darry, you're not tired already, are you?" Soda asked.

Darry shook his head. "No, I was just remembering how the two of us used to play 'Monkey in the Middle' with Ponyboy when he was little. And how dad used to scold us for not playing nice."

"Don't remind me." I grumbled. But I grinned at the memory. I think I was around five, and Darry used to hold the ball above his head because he knew I couldn't reach it. I would jump and even try climbing up Darry like he was a tree to try to get that ball from him.

"I played nice." Soda said. "You're the one who held the ball out of reach."

"I guess I can't do that anymore, can I?" Darry asked.

"Nope." I said, sitting down next to him. Soda eventually joined us. "And I remember how mom used to yell at you and Paul for not letting me play with you."

"Yeah, you two used to lock him out of your room and he would scream until mom had to do something about it." Soda recalled.

"Hey, why didn't you go play with Soda then?" Darry asked me.

I shrugged.

"Maybe he wanted to play with the big boys." Soda suggested. "Or, maybe he felt left out. I had Steve and you had Paul, but Pony didn't really have any friends until Johnny started coming over."

"I guess you're right." Darry said. He stood up. "Should we head back? Or do you two want to throw the football around some more?"

"I should finish my homework." I said.

"I told Steve I'd call him when he got home from work." Soda said. "He should be home soon."

"Okay, we'll go home." Darry said. He handed me the football and we all walked home together in silence, even though I was sure we were all still remembering things we used to do with our parents. I know I was.


	8. Chapter 8

I finished my homework just in time for Soda to tell me to turn out the light. Darry had already gone to bed. Which meant that Soda and I were the only ones who were still up.

"Pony, why exactly did you get in that fight today?" Soda asked as I slid under the covers next to him.

"I don't know." I yawned. "The soc was trying to say it was my fault that he and his friends got stuck with two weeks of Saturday detention and the next thing I knew, I was telling him to meet me at the football field after school."

"You're probably going to have that bruise on your cheek for a while." Soda commented.

"I know." I replied. "My eyes probably don't look so hot either."

Soda looked at me. "They don't look to bad. The ice probably helped."

"Soda?" I asked.

"Yeah?" He mumbled.

"Do you ever regret dropping out of school?"

Soda thought for a minute. I tried to guess his answer by looking at his face, but I couldn't. "I don't regret dropping out, Pony. At least not now. I like having my freedom. Besides, if I were still in school, Darry would probably have to have a third job to keep all the bills paid."

"But, wouldn't you like to do something other than work at a gas station?" I asked. Soda always had more potential than he was aware of and I wanted him to see in himself what I saw in him.

"Pony, I like working on cars." Soda said.

"Okay." I let the subject drop. I don't like talking about Soda being a drop out. Yet, I'm the one who usually brings it up. There's still a small part of me that wishes that he would go back to school.

"Pony?" Soda whispered.

"What?"

"Any possibilities of you having a girlfriend in the near future?" Soda asked.

"I don't think so, Soda." I replied.

"Why not?" Soda asked. "I'd think that girls would be lining up to date you by now."

I laughed softly. Everyone knows that every girl in the state of Oklahoma lines up to see Soda. I didn't think they'd really notice me.

"What's so funny?" Soda demanded.

"Soda, all the girls line up to see you. You're good looking." I replied.

Soda grinned. "And you're not? I hear almost every day that the two of us look alike. There's got to be some girl out there who thinks you're cute."

"I don't know, Soda." I said.

"Trust me, Pony, she's out there." Soda told me before he rolled over and went to sleep.

I laid awake and thought about it for a while. It hadn't been that long ago that I had asked Soda if he loved Sandy. Now, he was asking me about girls. And as far as I knew, no girl was interested in me. Not the way that they were interested in Soda. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep underneath Soda's arm.


End file.
